Froggin' setup question

[Travis Gasper]

I've been using my 6' medium Pflueger President setup with 10lb braid to throw topwater frogs around lillypads. (I caught a 20" bucketmouth on it Saturday!) I know it's way underpowered and I need to upgrade. I've got a 7' medium heavy Abu Garcia Pro Max with 17lb mono on that I haven't really used much. I was thinking about swapping the line, putting the 17lb mono on my President for cranks and spinners, and putting on some 50lb braid to the Pro Max. Think that would be sufficient for working frogs through thick cover? I'm fairly new to topwater and mainly wacky rig 90% of the time on a 7' Fenwick/Shimano setup.

[RichF]

I like a heavy rod for frog fishing around heavy cover but that setup will work for sure.  

[Penguino]

Would no way suggest putting 17 lb mono on a 6 ft medium spinning rod and reel lol. You would probably only be able to get 80 or so yards on it and it would be seriously overkill considering that a 6ft medium spinning combo should be your "finesse combo".

 

Instead, I would suggest keeping the 17 lb mono hanging around until you get a 7 or 6'6 baitcaster that can serve as your all around crankbait and spinnerbait combo.

 

 

[Travis Gasper]

9 minutes ago, Penguino said:

Would no way suggest putting 17 lb mono on a 6 ft medium spinning rod and reel lol. You would probably only be able to get 80 or so yards on it and it would be seriously overkill considering that a 6ft medium spinning combo should be your "finesse combo".

 

Instead, I would suggest keeping the 17 lb mono hanging around until you get a 7 or 6'6 baitcaster that can serve as your all around crankbait and spinnerbait combo.

 

 

Yeah you're probably right. The Pflueger was my old wacky rig setup before I bought the Fenwick/Shimano. I could always just keep that Plueger for when my girlfriend comes with I guess lol. 

[fishnkamp]

I assume you meant that the Abu is a baitcaster. If so, take your 7 foot Abu and put either 30 pound or 50 pound Power Pro braid on it.  However I want you to tie the end of the mono to a fence, a car pumper anything that will let you feed out the line while walking backwards. Now when you get to the spool please check the arbor knot (the knot holding the line on). Make sure it is tight and does not slip on the spool.  Now wind half a spool of line on the reel. Here is where you will attach the new braid onto the backing ( your 17 # mono)  Then spool up the braid.  Make sure to leave about 1/8 inch of the spool exposed.  Now tie on a frog and go play.  I would leave the 10 pound braid on the President combo. I would however add a 3 to 6 foot leader using something like P LIne CXX in moss green 10 pound test. That leader does several things for you.  One it keeps you from wasting good braid every time you retie. Second if the fish are line shy they will not see the cxx.  Also 10 pound cxx is not very large in diameter but breaks close to 20 pounds. Use this setup for spinnerbaits small cranks, worms, creature baits etc.  Then the Fenwich/Shimano setup can be your finesse rig. I see you throw wacky rigs. Have you thrown the Ned Rig yet, if not go look into it. This spring this do nothing looking setup regularly caught 5 pound and bigger smallies from Dale Hollow for my wife and I during vacation.  

[Travis Gasper]

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

I assume you meant that the Abu is a baitcaster. If so, take your 7 foot Abu and put either 30 pound or 50 pound Power Pro braid on it.  However I want you to tie the end of the mono to a fence, a car pumper anything that will let you feed out the line while walking backwards. Now when you get to the spool please check the arbor knot (the knot holding the line on). Make sure it is tight and does not slip on the spool.  Now wind half a spool of line on the reel. Here is where you will attach the new braid onto the backing ( your 17 # mono)  Then spool up the braid.  Make sure to leave about 1/8 inch of the spool exposed.  Now tie on a frog and go play.  I would leave the 10 pound braid on the President combo. I would however add a 3 to 6 foot leader using something like P LIne CXX in moss green 10 pound test. That leader does several things for you.  One it keeps you from wasting good braid every time you retie. Second if the fish are line shy they will not see the cxx.  Also 10 pound cxx is not very large in diameter but breaks close to 20 pounds. Use this setup for spinnerbaits small cranks, worms, creature baits etc.  Then the Fenwich/Shimano setup can be your finesse rig. I see you throw wacky rigs. Have you thrown the Ned Rig yet, if not go look into it. This spring this do nothing looking setup regularly caught 5 pound and bigger smallies from Dale Hollow for my wife and I during vacation.  

Yes the Abu Garcia is a baitcaster, and was thinking of doing exactly what you said except I'm partial to Sufix 832 and already have a fresh spool of 50 lb to use. Either that, or I saw a Lews Laser MG 7' medium heavy combo for $99 I thought of buying. Would still like one rod for spinners/cranks. And funny you mention it, I have dedicated an older 6' medium I have for Ned rigging. This weekend was my first time trying it. Seems like it could be a lot of fun!

[fishnkamp]

Nothing wrong with the 832, I used a lot of it in the past. It will be fine.  This April my wife (who is addicted to smallies) and I vacationed on Dale Hollow.  Our guide literally sucked up the entire supply available  in middle Tennessee and lower Kentucky for his guide service. He had like 1000 bodies coming from local tackle shops and warehouses. The big females had just spawned all at one time (do to the late spring and all of the rain) and had left the creeks to recuperate and begin feeding out on main lake grass flats.  These fish were really finicky and jigs, skinny dippers and mostly Ned Rigs were catching these 4 to 5 pound smallies. That rig looks like a baby fish lure but we caught 5 pounders all week. Here is a pic of one 

[Travis Gasper]

I took off the 17lb mono and spooled up my Pro Max with 50lb 832 braid this morning. Casted around the yard a few times and it feels good. Hopefully I'll be able to test it out around some pads tomorrow before work. 

[fishnkamp]

Great!  Now go catch a fish bigger than mine in the picture

[WIGuide]

The MH won't be ideal by any means, but it will be a whole lot better than the 6' medium. You did the right thing by spooling up the braid!